Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Wednesday 8 September 1999

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it is allocating to the programme of managed development of herbicide tolerant genetically modified crop trials on sites in Scotland.

Ross Finnie: The answer to this question is covered by S1W-1082.

Agriculture

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what announcements it has made and what information it has released since 1 July 1999 regarding Scottish involvement in the programme of managed development of herbicide tolerant genetically modified crop trials.

Ross Finnie: In October 1998, Michael Meacher announced to the House of Lords Select Committee that agreement had been reached in principle with the plant breeding industry for a jointly-funded programme of managed development of herbicide tolerant genetically modified crops. The invitation to tender was issued on 2 February 1999 and a consultation on the nature of the evaluations was issued on 25 February 1999. The announcement of the successful tender was made on 15 April 1999 by DETR news release. Information about the programme is contained on the DETR website including details of the 4 sites (in England) which have already been identified. Information on any Scottish sites will be publicised in advance.

Agriculture

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what announcements were made and what information was released regarding any commitments given in relation to Scottish participation in the programme of managed development of herbicide tolerant genetically modified crop trials in October 1998.

Ross Finnie: The announcement of the decision to award the contracts for the joint UK Government and Scottish Executive programme of farmscale evaluations of the management of genetically modified herbicide tolerant crops to a consortium consisting of the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, the Institute of Arable Crop Research and the Scottish Crop Research Institute was made as an answer to a parliamentary question in Westminster, accompanied by a DETR press release, on 15 April 1999.

  The announcement contained details of the length of the programme, the costs involved, the fact that The Scottish Office, DETR and MAFF were jointly funding the programme and the reasons for the trials. It related to the UK as a whole.

  Details of this programme are openly available and contained on the DETR website and before any planting takes place the information on site location must be publicised in the relevant local press.

Agriculture

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what announcements were made and what information was released regarding the awarding of the contract to conduct the Scottish section of the programme of managed development of herbicide tolerant genetically modified crop trials to the Scottish Crop Research Institute in April 1999.

Ross Finnie: The answer to this question is covered by S1W-1125.

Education

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the amount of expenditure, adjusted for inflation, on Disabled Students’ Allowance for students in higher education in Scotland in each of the past ten years.

Henry McLeish: The information in response to this question is given below, and refers to Scottish Domiciled students.

  Due to a change in the Disabled Students’ Allowance entitlement between sessions 1989-90 and 1990-91, there is a discontinuity in the series.

  Table: Number of students who received the Disabled Students’ Allowance between 1988-89 and 1998-99, and Total Expenditure

  

 

No of students 

  


Amount of Expenditure1




 
 

£ 



1988-89 

42 


17,639 



1989-90 

38 


27,457 



1990-91 

97 


161,829 



1991-92 

182 


287,153 



1992-93 

200 


350,847 



1993-94 

277 


555,095 



1994-95 

406 


935,481 



1995-96 

484 


991,707 



1996-97 

492 


999,756 



1997-98 

688 


1,321,740 



1998-99 

895 


1,961,994 




  1 The Expenditure amounts have been adjusted by the all items Retail Price Index (RPI) to 1998-99 prices.

Education

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the total numbers of higher education students in Scotland in each of the last ten years who (a) were in receipt of dependants’ allowance, and (b) had child dependants.

Henry McLeish: The information in response to this question is given below and refers to Scottish Domiciled students.

  It is not possible to determine which students in receipt of dependents allowance had child dependents.

  Table : Student who received Dependents Allowance and Total Amount Spent

  



No of Students 


Expenditure1 






£m 



1988-89 

1,735 


4.2 



1989-90 

2,047 


4.8 



1990-91 

2,317 


5.3 



1991-92 

3,129 


7.3 



1992-93 

3,993 


9.3 



1993-94 

5,174 


12.1 



1994-95 

5,927 


13.9 



1995-96 

6,175 


14.3 



1996-97 

6,260 


14.4 



1997-98 

6,325 


14.8 



1998-99 

6,538 


14.9 




  1 Expenditure amounts have been adjusted by all items Retail Price Index (RPI) to 1998-99 figures.

Education

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the amount of expenditure, adjusted for inflation, on the dependents’ allowance for students in higher education in Scotland in each of the last ten years.

Henry McLeish: I refer Mr Gorrie to the answer in PQ S1W-1101.

Education

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the amount of expenditure, adjusted for inflation, on the standard maintenance allowance in Scotland in each of the ten years before its abolition.

Henry McLeish: The information available is given.

  Table: Amount of Expenditure on the Standard Maintenance Allowance in Scotland: 1988-89 to 1998-99

  



Amount of Expenditure1






£M 



1988-89 

107.1 



1989-90 

111.2 



1990-91 

114.6 



1991-92 

134.2 



1992-93 

151.5 



1993-94 

174.3 



1994-95 

167.4 



1995-96 

152.3 



1996-97 

136.4 



1997-98 

120.2 



1998-99 

95.6 




  1 The Expenditure amounts have been adjusted by the all items Retail Price Index (RPI) to 1998-99 prices.

  There is a known discontinuity after 1991-92 with the inclusion of full-time HNC courses in the Student Awards Scheme for the first time.

  Expenditure in latter years decreases as a result of the move from a grants based system to a loans based system.

Education

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the number of mature students (aged 26 and over) in full time higher education in Scotland in each of the last ten academic years.

Henry McLeish: The information is not readily available in the form or time period requested. The definition of mature students used in Scotland is normally those aged 25+. The data available is provided:

  Mature1 Students in Full Time Higher Education2 in Scotland.

  

 

Total 



1994-95 

32,961 



1995-96 

34,447 



1996-97 

37,713 



1997-98 

38,053 




  1 Students aged 25 and over.

  2 Includes all students on postgraduate, first degree and sub degree Higher Education courses.

Education

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the total number of students in full time education in Scotland in each of the past ten academic years.

Henry McLeish: It is assumed the information requested is in relation to those undertaking further or higher education. The data is :

  Students in full time education in Scotland (further and higher education)

  

1994-95 
173,365





1995-96 
176,652





1996-97 
190,883





1997-98 
198,165

Education

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify in constant terms, the amount spent on the mature students allowance in Scotland in each of the ten years prior to its abolition.

Henry McLeish: The information in response to this question is given below and refers to expenditure funded by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) on mature students allowances, paid to Scottish Domiciled students.

  Table: Amount paid by SAAS on Mature Students Allowance

  



Expenditure1 





£m 



1984-85 

2.0 



1985-86 

2.0 



1986-87 

2.0 



1987-88 

2.2 



1988-89 

2.2 



1989-90 

2.5 



1990-91 

2.9 



1991-92 

4.2 



1992-93 

5.7 



1993-94 

7.5 



1994-95 2 

8.9 



1995-96 3 

6.0 



1996-97 3 

3.4 



1997-98 3 

1.5 



1998-99 3 

0.5 




  1 Expenditure amounts have been adjusted by Treasury GDP Deflator to 1998-99 figures.

  2 Last year of mature students allowance for new students

  3 Students with reserved rights

Education

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the number of student award holders receiving Disabled Students’ Allowance in each of the past ten years.

Henry McLeish: I refer Mr Gorrie to the answer in PQ S1W-1099.

Education

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the timescale established by the Further Education Funding Council for the payment to companies running training courses in Further Education Colleges such as ASET (Accreditation Syndicate for Education and Training) course, and The Certificate in Drugs Awareness and how this differs from practice for English Further Education College courses.

Henry McLeish: Individual colleges in both Scotland and England are bound by the same financial conditions that are applied to government departments, as detailed in "Government Accounting". Section 21.2.6 a (i) of "Government Accounting" deals with the timing of payments and states that

  "In the case of goods and services, the timing of payment should be stipulated in the contract or in general conditions governing terms of business. Where there is no contractual provision or other understanding or accepted practice governing the timing of payments, departments should pay within 30 days of receipt of goods or services or the presentation of a valid invoice or similar demand for payment, whichever is the later."

Education

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify, for each of the last 3 years, the cost of administration to (a) the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, (b) the Student Loans Company and (c) further and higher education institutions of the assessment, collection and payment of student maintenance support and tuition fees.

Henry McLeish: The information requested is given in the table.

  A. Cost of Administering the Student Awards Agency for Scotland

  Expenditure is shown by Financial years.

  

 

Expenditure1 



 

£m 



1996-97 

3.7 



1997-98 

4.5 



1998-99 

4.7 




  1 Expenditure is on a full costs basis

  B. Costs, met by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, of administering the Student Loans Company .

  The costs of administering the Student Loans Company Ltd is met on a United Kingdom wide basis. Each of the Education Departments pays a share of the costs, calculated using a formula which takes into account the relative numbers of students for whom they have administrative responsibility.

  

 

Expenditure 



 

£m 



1996-97 

2.3 



1997-98 

2.8 



1998-99 

2.8 




  C. Cost of Administration to further and higher education institutions of the assessment, collection and payment of student maintenance and tuition fees

  Further Education Colleges assumed responsibility for maintenance awards for non-advanced courses and for tuition fees in April 1996. The direct cost of administering the schemes for 1996-97 and 1997-98 was approximately £1.7m or 4% of the overall annual bursary allocation. From 1998-99 onwards, administration costs have been included within the recurrent grant allocations. Information on Colleges’ administration costs is not available centrally.

  Information on the administration costs of the collection and payment of student maintenance support and tuition fees in respect of higher education institutions is also not held centrally.

Education

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of introducing the new system of student tuition fees was, what the additional annual cost of the administration and collection of tuition fees is and what amount of tuition fees due in academic year 1998-99 remain uncollected.

Henry McLeish: This information is not collected centrally. Institutions already had in place arrangements for administration and collection of tuition fees from students. The extent to which additional costs are incurred as a result of the introduction of private contributions to tuition fees for new entrants will vary from institution to institution.

Education

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the level of administrative charge taken from the grant to partner providers in pre-school education by each local authority in Scotland.

Peter Peacock: The level of administrative charge taken from the grant to partner providers in pre-school education by each local authority in Scotland is a contractual matter for each individual authority. However Ministers have recommended for 1999-2000 that within the rate of £1,175 paid to local authorities per part-time place a minimum of £880 per place is paid to their partners.

Exports

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of Scottish Exports to European Union and non European Union destinations is exported directly from Scottish ports.

Henry McLeish: Latest figures from Customs and Excise show that, in 1997, some 90% of Scottish Exports to non-European Union destinations came from Scottish ports, including seaports and airports.

  Since the completion of the Single Market figures are not collated for exports to European Union countries.

Health

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any sex offenders or paedophiles will be placed within the proposed secure unit at Stobhill hospital.

Susan Deacon: Some patients in the Local Forensic Unit might have committed serious offences which could include sexual offences. The Unit will offer them treatment with an appropriate level of security.

  Patients will only be admitted to the local forensic unit proposed for Stobhill if they do not require the high levels of security provided at the State Hospital, and if they are not considered an immediate risk to the public.

Health

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the consultations held with communities in Glasgow regarding a proposed secure unit, prior to Stobhill being selected.

Susan Deacon: In the autumn of 1997 Greater Glasgow Health Board consulted widely with over 100 organisations and individuals, including MPs and all Community Councils in Glasgow, on its Draft Strategy for Mentally Disordered Offenders which had been produced by a multi-agency working group. Support for the Strategy was almost universal from those who responded, including the Health Council, Strathclyde Police, the Area Medical Committee, Glasgow City Council and UNISON.

  In the following summer (1998) the Health Board and the former Greater Glasgow Community and Mental Health NHS Trust held meetings with local MPs, local Community Councils in the areas then under consideration (Stobhill and Ruchill), the Local Health Forum, and the Health Council to discuss the proposed local forensic unit.

  The further option appraisal, conducted in February 1999, involved representatives from the Greater Glasgow Community and Mental Health Services Trust, local authorities, UNISON, Strathclyde Police and others. MSPs, City Councillors and Community Councillors were informed of the proposals in July 1999. The Health Board have been holding a number of meetings with local groups. They have issued information to all local households and are dealing with correspondence with detailed responses and offers of further information.

  As the Minister responsible I shall shortly be making a visit to Stobhill Hospital.

Health

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why Greater Glasgow Health Board have not consulted the local community in Springburn and the surrounding areas on the proposal to build a secure unit at Stobhill, prior to lodging a planning application.

Susan Deacon: I refer the Member to my earlier answer, S1W-765.

Health

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guarantees it can give that offenders who are placed within the proposed secure unit at Stobhill will not escape and thereby pose a threat to the safety of the community.

Susan Deacon: I refer the Member to my earlier answer, S1W-763.

Health

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the appropriate Scottish Minister will visit the proposed site for the secure unit at Stobhill hospital in order to discuss with the local community their concerns regarding the unit.

Susan Deacon: I refer the Member to my earlier answer, S1W-765.

Health

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take in the light of the recent comments on smoking by the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive shares the view expressed by the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland that robust action is required to restrict smoking in public places. Officials of the Executive are currently in discussion with the hospitality trade in Scotland, and other key interests, with a view to negotiating a Public Places Charter. This will aim to increase consumer choice by improving the provision of facilities for non-smokers and the availability of good ventilation and clean air.

Health

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-759 by Susan Deacon on 23 August 1999, how it will ensure that the maximum waiting time guarantees correlate with the actual waiting times for outpatient appointments.

Susan Deacon: The local waiting time guarantees for a first outpatient appointment following General Medical Practitioner/General Dental Practitioner referral are set and monitored by Health Boards taking account of local needs.

  The Scottish Executive is committed to set and monitor targets to speed treatment and shorten waiting times. We plan to ensure that this commitment extends to outpatients as well as inpatient and day case treatment and we will consult widely before targets are set. These targets will be closely monitored and will be published.

Health

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-887 by Susan Deacon on 24 August 1999, whether it will list the level of stocks of anti-tetanus injections held at each accident and emergency department in the Argyll and Clyde Health Board area on (a) Friday 6 August, and (b) Saturday 7 August 1999, and whether it will make a statement on this matter.

Susan Deacon: As I indicated in my response to question S1W-887 on 24 August, information on the levels of anti-tetanus vaccine held at Accident and Emergency Departments is not held centrally. I understand from Argyll and Clyde Health Board that sufficient supplies of the vaccine were available at Accident and Emergency Departments in the Board area on 6 and 7 August 1999.

Justice

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer given to question S1W-867 by John Home Robertson on 24 August 1999, who is representing the Scottish Executive and who is representing Her Majesty’s Government during discussions relating to the Memorandum of Understanding between Her Majesty’s Government and the Scottish Executive; when any discussion so far took place and when further discussions are scheduled; where the venue was for these discussions and what venues are planned for future discussions; whether any minutes were taken and, if so, when these minutes will be published; when a conclusion to these discussions is expected, and when discussions on the subsequent concordats are expected to begin and conclude.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive is considering carefully the draft Memorandum of Understanding it has received from the UK Government. It will discuss it as necessary with the other parties to it and will then put the agreed documents to the Parliament for endorsement.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it received notification of the lodging of an appeal on 8 July 1999 by Karl Tonner, currently residing at Carstairs State Hospital.

Mr Jim Wallace: Notification of the appeal was received by the Executive on the 22 July 1999.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it received notification of the lodging of an appeal at Lanark Sheriff Court on 22 July 1999 by Brian Doherty, currently residing at Carstairs State Hospital.

Mr Jim Wallace: Notification of the appeal was received by the Executive on the 4 August 1999.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-747 by Mr Colin Boyd on 10 August 1999, what current steps are being taken to bring a case against any persons who may be responsible for the death of Ian Godley, how many police officers are involved in the pursuit of further evidence and whether the police received any direction from the Crown Office on this matter.

Lord Hardie: The circumstances of the death of Ian Godley are being kept under regular review. Matters affecting the deployment of police officers to investigate crime are for the local police commander and not the Lord Advocate. In accordance with the usual practice in cases of suspicious death, investigation of the circumstances of Mr Godley’s death was carried out by the police under the direction of the Procurator Fiscal. The Procurator Fiscal reported the results for the instructions of Crown Counsel, who instructed a number of specific further enquiries to be carried out by both the Procurator Fiscal and the police. These did not yield sufficient evidence to enable proceedings to be brought. It is considered that all avenues of enquiry have been explored, but the case remains open and will be reviewed if further evidence emerges.

Mental Health Bill

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received representations from the Millan Committee on the Review of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 about the Mental Health (Public Safety and Appeals) (Scotland) Bill.

Mr Jim Wallace: I received a letter from Bruce Millan on behalf of the Committee yesterday. I have made copies of that letter and my reply available in the Parliament’s Information Centre.

Pensioners

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the question S1W-777 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 17 August, how many pensioners living in West Dunbartonshire Council owned accommodation (a) meet their rent without any payment from the DSS and (b) have all or part of their rent paid by the DSS, and to specify the total value of this assistance.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This information is not held by the Scottish Executive, and is not currently available to West Dunbartonshire Council. However, I have asked the Council to write to Mr Quinan as soon as the information becomes available.

Rural Affairs

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements have been made for the undertaking of checks on animal feedstuffs to ensure that they meet common quality and safety standards.

Ross Finnie: Regulations for the implementation in GB of measures aimed at ensuring more even enforcement of EC legislation have now been laid at Westminster. These Regulations are part of a package of controls which have already been introduced on a GB basis and which, taken together, will ensure that feed produced throughout the Community and imported from third countries meets common quality and safety standards.

Scottish Executive

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what protocol exists for notifying constituency MSPs of Ministerial visits within a member’s constituency.

Donald Dewar: In accordance with the Ministerial Code, Ministers of the Scottish Executive aim to notify MSPs of Ministerial visits to their constituency or region as soon as firm plans of the visit are made.

  We are exploring the possible use of e-mail to ensure that MSPs receive notice as early as is possible.

Scottish Executive

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of Ministers’ programme of visits during the summer recess.

Donald Dewar: Ministers have completed a programme of study tours covering all regions of Scotland and relating to all key aspects of their portfolios. These visits allowed Ministers to see at first hand many of the activities and places for which they are responsible and listen to the concerns and ideas of the Scottish people. Several significant announcements, including the launch of the Land Reform White Paper and the National Cultural Strategy, were made outwith the central belt. In addition I held public meetings in Dumfries, Selkirk, Orkney and the Western Isles. The programme of visits has ensured that Ministers are in a strong position to know and reflect people’s views on key issues as Parliament reconvenes.

Transport

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimated level of abuse exists of the use of Orange badge parking spaces within each local authority area.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive does not hold the information requested. The administration of the Orange Badge Scheme of parking concessions for disabled and blind people is a matter for local authorities. However, we are aware from recent enquiries that all councils take some form of action in relation to alleged misuse of badges which have been issued. Most councils keep a record of alleged misuse and issue a warning letter.

Transport

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate whether the recent increase in fuel costs has had a disproportionate effect on the financial wellbeing of disabled people.

Sarah Boyack: There are no plans for any such investigation at present. The Scottish Executive is well aware that disabled people need to have accessible transport available to them. A research study into the provision of transport for disabled people in Scotland has been completed recently and its findings will be carefully considered. Disabled people in rural areas are benefiting from the Scottish Executive’s Rural Community Transport Grant scheme which is grant aiding many new community transport projects including the provision of wheelchair accessible minibuses.